Camden can still be mega lols

My first experience of Camden Town, came around the same time during Senior school in which I discovered the existence of vintage shops, and I thought it was wonderful. But, as everyone who has moved to London cos’ it’s cool knows, the place has been over for a long, long time.

 

That doesn’t stop a whole bunch of tourists, and even natives who still see a glimmer of charm in the old girl flocking there every day though, and it didn’t stop me at the sight of a little sunshine (but not enough for say, a park) heading on the Northern line for a browse of the innumerable weed paraphernalia, I <3 London tees and S&M gear this Friday.

Camden is one of those places where the atmosphere can be felt even ascending the escalators at the tube station. By that what I really mean is, pork-pie hats, studs, creepers, everywhere. For those of us who spend our days blissfully ignoring the areas that aren’t deemed the ‘trendy East End’ by Time Out, this can be a pretty daunting situation, inducing anxiety attacks that one might be mistaken as someone who takes Pete Doherty’s playing ground seriously.

 

Outside of those golden tube barriers, belies a mini alternative haven of over-priced markets, where everything goes. And most things that go are shit. Think Justin Bieber t shirts and Bob Marley sofa-throws. But to be honest, after spending the past 6 months in a state of culture-shock that no-one says cob outside of middle England, nowadays, I’m not even sure how I should react upon sighting a whole store full of plastic/transparent faux doc martens. That’s just London for you init.

 

Nonetheless, if the picture I’m painting is only reaffirming the decision you made at 16 to never return to London’s most popular bric-a-brac markets, there is one remaining tourist attraction worth leaving the SE’s for, and that is the Bang Bang chicken man.  After achieving 5mins of YouTube fame a couple of years back with his quirky baritone and slick chicken-selling style (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhEMn3Nf5Zs), he remains a living LEG-UND. Honestly, this guy not only hands me and the bf free chicken but he also howls Moves Like Jagger over the ruckus of the market. Brilliant, someone that can relieve the pain of sitting on a chair that used to be a motorbike for 10 minutes.

 

N.B. If that doesn’t do it for you, the best escape route is a 10 min quiet walk down the canal to Primrose Hill.